All Virginia Tech students and staff will be mandated to get booster shot for the upcoming spring semester, report

Virginia – As the number of new Covid-19 cases is on the rise across the country because of the Omicron variant which is already the dominant variant in the United States, many private companies, government agencies and now universities are starting mandating employees and students to get the booster dose of the vaccine.

The Omicron variant was discovered last month in Africa and not much is known so far. However, there are multiple ongoing studies about the variant currently and while the public is expecting more information every day, one thing is for sure, it’s by far more transmissible in both fully vaccinated people and those with natural immunity.

Since numerous health experts claim that the best weapon against the Omicron is a booster dose of the available Covid-19 vaccines, many companies, agencies and now universities are starting to implement booster dose mandates across the country.

The latest to join on this list is Virginia Tech as they announced they are updating the COVID-19 requirements for the upcoming spring semester.

According to the letter from President of the University Tim Sands, the university will require all students without exemptions to receive a COVID-19 booster shot within 14 days of eligibility. Updated vaccine information for students already eligible is due February 1.

Students who are still not eligible for booster dose of the vaccines, are asked to schedule an appointment and get a booster dose as soon as they become eligible. The mandate applies for both students and university workers, including teachers, and they are required to upload their proof of vaccination as soon as they get boosted.

All residential students will also be required to present a negative COVID-19 test before returning to the university. A PCR or Antigen test will be accepted and must be done no more than 72 hours before returning to campus. Anyone who tests positive will not be allowed to move into on-campus housing until they compete the isolation period.

In addition to the booster vaccine mandate, the university said they will continue to implement the face mask requirement.

Those who will remain unvaccinated for some reason, will be tested weekly.